- Athi River subcounty police commander Anderson Mbae said the victims were rescued by officers from the Kenya Red Cross alongside police officers.
- Mbae said no fatalities had been reported following the flooding situation so far.
Image: GEORGE OWITI
Fifteen people have been rescued from their flood-marooned homes in Kinanie, Machakos.
The lot was among the residents earlier stuck in their homes after their houses were marooned in flood waters owing to the ongoing heavy rains at Ngelalia village on Sunday.
Athi River subcounty police commander Anderson Mbae said the victims were rescued by officers from the Kenya Red Cross alongside police officers.
"Fifteen people have been rescued so far in the ongoing boat rescue mission using boats," Mbae told the Star on Sunday.
Mbae said no fatalities had been reported following the flooding situation so far.
Athi River deputy county commissioner Patrick Mwangi said several parts of the subcounty had been flooded by the flash waters hence the need for evacuation.
The village in which victims were rescued using boats was among the areas mentioned by the administrator.
"In general, there are other areas within the Athi River subcounty that are flooded. In Kinanie location, for instance, there is a village which is completely marooned," Mwangi said.
Mwangi spoke in Syokimau on Sunday.
He said Sabaki River had bust its banks thereby marooning the Kinanie village.
"We are assessing the situation and advising the public to take precautions not to risk their lives by crossing flooded sections or staying in river banks," Mwangi said.
Mwangi said the flooding had been caused by water from higher grounds such as Ngong Hills and parts of Nairobi.
He said parts of the subcounty especially those affected by the floods were lowlands.
"This morning we woke up to this kind of disaster whereby due to heavy rains that took place last night, buildings in this estate are flooded," he said.
"The public woke up, some of their houses submerged and we have tried to make efforts to make sure the water drains."
He said the flooding was caused by drainage challenges that the area faces.
Mwangi said the county government would take measures to ensure the drainage is opened up.
"However, due to risks involved in this kind of flooding, the multiagency, subcounty security committee has directed that people have to be evacuated from these premises because as it looks there are more rains expected," Mwangi said.
The administrator said as a government, they couldn't wait for people to drown to mourn later.
He said the houses seemed to have sipped lots of water overnight.
Mwangi told victims to evacuate their houses lest they be forcibly evacuated by the government.
"We don't want to come to your house to forcibly evict you. But, if it gets there, we need to save lives," Mwangi said.
Other adversely affected areas include Kwa Mang'eli, Kwa Nzomo, Kyelenze and Kasuitu villages within the Athi River ward.
Athi River MCA Jeremiah Kaloi called on the Machakos County Government's disaster management to intervene by providing essential services including food, clothing, shelter and medicine.
"It's becoming terrible. I call on the affected residents to move to higher grounds before the situation worsens," Kaloi said.